Pakistan ranks 76th out of 100 countries on the inclusive internet index 2020 released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), reported DAWN.
The ‘Inclusive Internet Index’ place countries on the availability, affordability, relevance and the readiness of masses to use it. This annual report is generated by Facebook.
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This report covered 100 countries, which includes 91 per cent of the world’s population and 96pc of global GDP.
On a benchmark of one (best) to 100 (worst), Pakistan stood at the 76th place out of the total countries surveyed. Apart from the global index, Pakistan ranks 24th out of 26 Asian countries.
The fundamental reasons for this ranking are gender gaps, low levels of digital literacy and relatively poor network quality, according to the EIU report.
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In terms of availability — a category that examines the quality and breadth of available infrastructure required for access and levels of internet usage — Pakistan ranked 86th out of 100.
The country fared relatively better on affordability (57th) that is described as the cost of access relative to income and the level of competition in the internet marketplace.
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In terms of readiness — measured on the basis of access to the internet, including skills, cultural acceptance, and supporting policy — the country ranked 64th. Finally, Pakistan stood 71st on relevance, which is the existence and extent of local language content and relevant content.
Looking at South Asia, Pakistan ranked the lowest, Bangladesh at 70th, Sri Lanka at 56 and India on the 46th spot.
The first country ranked in this year’s index is Sweden, followed by New Zealand and the United States. Australia and Denmark both ranked fourth, followed by South Korea, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Spain.
Among the global worst are Burandi at 100th, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi and Burkina Faso.
